Beautiful Things
by Mirror and Darkling
Summary: Seconds chances are a rare gift, and it's better to not look a gift horse in the mouth. He didn't want a second chance, though. He wanted to lie in his forgotten grave. He wasn't the one to ask for this. SoRiku. AkuRoku.
1. Background

Beautiful Things

**Author's Note: **This is a planned multi-chaptered story, though I doubt it will be updated quickly. Each chapter will have a theme, which will be said in the chapter you want to suggest a theme, review! That'll be fun. xD

This chapter has no theme: it's pretty much background so you're not completely lost. Enjoy, even though it sucks.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KH. I wish I owned a DS, though, so I could play 358/2 Days. THAT would make me a happy girl.

**Warning: **Boy/boy love, if that bothers you: Leave. I'm not warning you about this again. Cursing maybe violence? Hell, I have no idea. I don't have anything past the first theme planned.

xxx

The three Fates never forgot a promise, so when Lachesis began to sing about two beings without hearts that had promised to meet again, they were surprised. Almost a hundred years had passed, and the world had changed so much. The oldest, Atropos, looked down and saw these changes, then looked to her sisters and told them that they must fulfill this promise.

They smiled at this and it was done.

They spun the elder's life thread, and it shone brightly against their palms. They whispered him to life and set him down inside a womb to grow. The youngest being's thread was spun, though it glowed weaker than the other. This puzzled the sisters, and they kept his thread until it began to shine brighter. Two years past, but it did not brighten.

They grew anxious, as the elder was already born and growing bigger each day, but the younger's thread showed no sign of changing. And then Clotho laughed and told them it was connected to another.

And thus, his 'brother' was given a thread, and they both shone brightly against their palms. They set them down inside a womb and waited. It was then that Lachesis admited to creating a thread herself; this thread belonged to one connected to the 'brother'. She whispered to her sisters that he deserved to be happy, just as much as the two that had made their promise to meet again. Clotho had pursed her lips and whispered back that, she believed that giving them a dream, a dream which showed them their past, would prove useful. If they did not know why they were given this second chance, she had argued, how would they be happy?

Atropos, who spoke of things to come, merely frowned.

For when it came time for Riku to have his dream, and when he remembered, he cried.

xxx

**Author's Note:** -takes a sip of tea-

Let me know, eh? What you think?


	2. Sweep

Beautiful Things

**Author's Note: **First theme. I think this will be a lot better than the last chapter, cause I still look back on it and frown. I don't know why...Once again, if you want to suggest themes, please feel free to do so! I would love it if you did, actually.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own KH. ...Can I have Riku? For a minute only, I swear, I won't do anything bad to him.

**Warning: **Refer to earlier warning, please. In the last chapter.

xxx

**Sweep**

And he remembers...

He woke up at 3:46 on a Friday night, heart pounding and fingers curled around fist fulls of hair. He could practically feel the darkness curling around his body (_welcome back, we've missed you Ri-ku_). What _is_ this feeling; he understands yet he doesn't, because he's never felt the darkness. At least, not in this new body. This new body is pure and innocent, but his heart no longer is. He shudders and sobs and he doesn't stop crying until his mother comes rushing into his room.

She rocks her ten year old back to sleep, running fingers through soft silver tresses, massaging where he's pulled to hard at hair, and coos.

As Riku grows older, he begins to understand. He doesn't want this. He looks down at his body; now fully developed. Slim. Muscular. A strong seventeen year old's body, but within it trapped an ancient heart. He wants to go back to being dead, cause at least then he knew that his friends rested beside him. Because there are no others, it's just Axel, Roxas, his twin Sora, and him. Riku. The once innocent one.

He looks out his window at Axel and Roxas and wonders why the hell Sora and him had to be dragged into his, 'cause it was bad enough that Riku had to live one life but now he has to live two, with the guilt of what he did in his _past_ driving him insane. He had been happy, honestly, he had. He'd grown up happy on his quiet little Island. No news from King Mickey. No news about the Heartless coming back. But that was okay, because he'd lived with Sora and Kairi and the others. Happy.

He had been happy (if happy meant watching your best friend, the love of your life, walk down the aisle with his new birde with a sad smile on your face) and perfectly content with staying dead.

Riku sighs and looks out his window at Sora, standing next to his laughing brother, and smiles softly.

But he figures...hey, while he's here...he might as well sweep Sora off his feet.

xxx

**Author's Note: **cough. I'm going to go read HP now.

Leave me a review? ;D


	3. Gravitate

Beautiful Things

**Author's Note: **Here ya go, Eechi, love. :D The theme you requested.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts. D: Poo.

**Warning: **Refer to past chapter warnings.

**xxx**

**Gravitate**

He was ten the first time he met Sora. The brunet had tripped and fallen in the hallway at their small school. While the others just laughed, Riku had pushed his way through the crowd and helped the boy to his feet. Sora had smiled. Riku had shrugged.

And they became best friends. Wherever one went, the other was sure to follow.

Now, while standing beside his best friend as he chatted with his brother, he realizes that meeting Sora had not been an accident. Standing here now, after just graduating, Riku realizes that all four of them had been brought together by a fate. He was ten when he remembered, he was ten when he met Sora. Roxas was fourteen when he remembered and met Axel. They wouldn't have been able to avoid each other if they tried.

They hadn't stood a chance.

The four of them...the four souls from the past, they gravitated towards each other. They're souls, from the very start, recognized each other's presence. It was comforting.

"Shorty!"

Riku glanced up at the approaching red head, smirking at Sora's pouting expression. Axel flicked the tassel, which now rested on the left side of the hat. "Thinking about college, yet?" he asked, wrapping an arm around Roxas' waist and pulling him against him.

"I'm not sure, Riku's been helping me search though."

It was a well known that fact that Roxas was heading to Ohio State (following Axel, of course, though the blonde refused to admit it), whereas Sora had put it off to the last minute and was still unsure where he would finish his studies. Riku turned away from the conversation, distracted by an elderly woman who had come up to congratulate him. After smiling and many hand shakes, he looked down to see Sora pulling on the sleeve of his graduation gown.

"What?"

"Looks like you're gonna be stuck with me, Riku!" Sora laughed. Riku only rolled his eyes.

_I didn't have a choice, Sora._

They were meant to be together. All four of them.

**xxx**

**Author's Note: **D: My tea got cold while writing this. you enjoyed. Reviewwww?


	4. Skirt

Beautiful Things

**Author's Note: **For AkuRoku day. :3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Mourn.

**Warning: **Look to past chapters for warning...

xxx

**Skirt**

Riku was beginning to wonder when Axel and Roxas were _ever_ going to get together. It was their fault they were in here in the first place.

They skirted around the issue.

At first, Axel had dropped a few hints.

"Remember that mission in Wonderland...?"

"You think things could work out between us...?"

"C'mon Rox, you're my best friend. Of course I care..."

Roxas knew perfectly well what the red head was doing, and if he didn't, Riku would be very surprised. He didn't know much about the two Nobody's past life, but something had to have happened for them to promise to meet again. Something important. Even Sora didn't understand why his brother was not so subtly avoiding answering Axel's questions.

Roxas and Axel were perfectly aware of what was going on. Where past conversations were relaxed and easy, current conversations were tense and it was hard to find the right words. Both of them were suffering from it. Axel got this look in his eye when he spotted the blonde; a look that Riku later pointed out to Sora as desperate. Axel was desperate. And Roxas...Roxas was just confused.

After a point, Axel returned to his normal self. No more desperate looks in Roxas' direction. No more subtle hints. Roxas seemed to relax, though sometimes Sora would catch him muttering to himself.

Things went back to normal.

Untill Roxas finally couldn't take it anymore. He'd whirled to face the Senior at lunch with a snarl. Luckily they sitting outside , otherwise they would have made a scene.

"I swear, Axel, if you want to ask me out - just ask me, dammit!"

Axel, for his part, only smiled and slipped an arm around the shorter male. Riku slapped his forehead. Sora laughed.

Axel dragged Roxas off to the boy's bathroom.

xxx

**Author's Note: **Happy AkuRoku day, loves. Hope it's a great one. Review?

Damn, maybe I should just do what Roxas did...-mutters to herself-


	5. Birthday

**Beautiful Things**

**Author's Note: **SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. I'm so far behind. D:

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts. -grumbles-

**Warning: **Nothing. Maybe if you have your mind in the gutter, you'll take the last part in a very bad way? MAYBE? I DUNNO.

xxx

**Birthday**

Birthdays are a big affair in Sora's household. Another year older, smarter, taller (or not, in Sora's case), and a celebration of the year ahead of you, plus maybe a million balloons and lots and lots of cake. It's really good cake. And the presents...since Sora and Roxas are twins, the pile of presents is about twice as large.

Riku has gone to Sora and Roxas' birthday party every year since he was ten. Mostly for Sora, of course.

Riku's birthday parties aren't as elaborate as Sora and Roxas's. After that clown incident when he turned twelve (and honestly, what mother in her right mind would get a clown for a twelve year old?), his parties had been small, including a small group of friends, a small cake, and a bon-fire on the beach. It was quiet. It was nice.

Sora went to every single birthday party, too. Except his fourteeth birthday party.

Riku doesn't realize it at first, but later on when he's sitting in his room, still smelling of smoke from the bon-fire and surrounded by presents, he remembers that he was fourteen when he went into the darkness. Surely this wasn't the reason for Sora's absent, though, he told himself. Riku spent the entire time in the shower arguing with himself over it, and didn't relax until he got a phone call later that night from Sora, explaining why he hadn't made it. He was sick. Fever. His mother wouldn't even let him go to the bathroom without making sure he was okay.

That was a long time ago. He's now seventeen and scrolling through his music, headphones in, music blasting. Sora pounces.

"Seven years since we've met!" he says in a sing-song voice, and Riku is too busy trying to stay standing with Sora clinging to his back to respond. Sora continues without a care, "Seven years since we've remembered. How does it feel to be seventeen, Riku?"

He's taken out his headphones and is chirping in Riku's ear and it's starting to hurt, but Riku just says, "It feels like any other day, Sora."

Sora pouts, as if he had excepted a better answer, but quickly smiles. "Well, it's going to be the best birthday ever, because!" He jumps down and pulls Riku to a halt right in front of the doors and says, "I'm going to be there."

"You're always there, Sora," Riku laughs, pushing Sora through the doors.

"Yeah," he agrees. "But nobody says 'Happy Birthday' quite like I do."

And Riku has to agree because it's true.

xxx

**Author's Note: :3**


	6. Growth

**Beautiful Things**

**Author's Note**: It's short. I really like this one, though. If there are mistakes, please tell me. I'm running on coffee.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Get off my back. D:

**Warning**: -shrugs- Disturbing image?

xxx

**Growth**

Riku looks back on the years spent away from the island and the sudden return, back in that past life, sometimes. The old life. The bad life. He remembers how odd it had been to grow up knowing you had killed, you were responsible for the death of other beings.

Even now it's not any better.

Now it's odd to remember growing up knowing you had killed, you were responsible for the deaths of other beings, and watching others grow up around you when you already feel a hundred years old.

Riku still feels old, no matter what age he is. Not in the physical sense, but rather the fact that his heart has felt things a twenty year old shouldn't. He has seen things a normal twenty year old hasn't - death, Heartless gathering around a man much like you would gather around the table at Thanksgiving, and magic. He looks at Sora sometimes and sees that child-like innocence shining through, and Riku wishes he could be that way too. But he's not, and he looks back on the years spent away from the island and the sudden return, back in that past life, and his eyes darken. His college roommate (despite his wishes, he still didn't end up with Sora) looks at him and tells him, "Dude, you've got that look in your eyes again. What are you thinking about?"

Riku wants to tell him, "The darkness."

But he doesn't. Because this twenty year old roommate has not seen things that the twenty year old Riku remembers seeing. It's been this way his whole life, actually, and only Sora (and Axel and Roxas to an extent) seem to understand. Riku grew up knowing what death smelled like, what it sounds like to have a heart ripped from a chest and eaten, and knows what it looks like to watch somebody fade in front of your very eyes. Riku's has not even reached his full growth yet (he's only twenty, remember?), but he knows what it feels like to get arthritis for god's sake.

And that, in Riku's opinion, is just sad. And it makes his hand hurt just thinking about it.

xxx

**Author's Note: SHORT. I told you.**


End file.
